If you take your Bible and let's turn to Judges, chapter number 19, book of Judges, chapter number 19. We are seeing in these later chapters in the book of Judges some of the depths of the depravity that God's people were involved in during this time and their history. And it's bad. I mean, the things that we're seeing is a low time in Israel's history. Tonight we will see some new lows. We're going to take a look and deal with all 30 verses here, hopefully in this chapter this evening, but understand that we're going to read them as we deal with them. Amen. So let's begin. First of all, we see a Levite take in a concubine, mentioned in verse number one here. It came to pass in those days when there was no king in Israel that there was a certain Levite. It doesn't say this is the same Levite that we saw before, just a certain Levite sojourning on the side of Mount Ephraim who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem, Judah." Now we see the sad statement again about there being no king in Israel. That set the stage for the terrible story that begins in this chapter and actually continues on into the next chapter. Understand that there being no king in Israel meant more than just the absence of a political monarch. It also meant that primarily, by and large, They refused to recognize the Lord God's leadership in the nation's life and in their personal lives, though there was still a remnant. Remember, God always has a remnant, a believing remnant, even though These times were some bleak times. There were some folks that were believers, believe it or not. The Lord wanted to be Israel's king and for them to look to him and his word for the direction needed in their lives, but they rejected his word. and they rejected his rule and thereby rejected him as king. So that's why there was no king in Israel. And what unfolds in the rest of this chapter shows the depths of depravity to which one may sink apart from the grace of God. It kind of reminds me, as I read through this, it reminds me of the downward progression of sin mentioned by the Apostle Paul that we dealt with in Romans chapter number 1. In verses 18-32, where God gave them up to uncleanness, and God gave them up to vile affections, and God gave them over to a reprobate mind, talking about a downward spiral of sin, talking about mankind, how mankind got into the darkness that he got into. Some of those same things, the idolatry that they were involved in was part of what got the Gentiles in such bad trouble as well. Now this unnamed Levite took for himself a concubine. That's what scripture says. And that means that she was recognized as his legal partner, but she did not have the same status in the home or in society as a primary wife. And we're not told if he had a wife. We're just told he had a concubine. In this sense, a concubine was really a legal mistress most of the times. Many prominent men in the Old Testament are said to have had concubines. I can give you some examples, Abraham in Genesis 25 and verse 6. Jacob in Genesis 35 verse 22. Even Caleb in 1 Chronicles 2 verse 46. Saul in 2 Samuel 3 verse 7. David 2 Samuel 5 verse 13. Solomon 1 Kings 11 verse 3. He had 300 concubines. Can you imagine? Guys, 300 concubines. And Rehoboam, also 2 Chronicles 11, 21. All of these names we know. And this was not the Lord's way. And we never see this kind of family life blessed. You will not see where that family was blessed in any way. Jesus made it clear in Matthew 19 verses 4 through 6 that from the beginning God's plan was one man and one woman to be one flesh until death parts them. That's God's way. And so we see in verse 2, let's take a look at verse 2 now, we see the Levite's concubine committed adultery and left the Levite to go back to her father's house. Look at verse 2, it says, His concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house, to Bethlehem Judah, and was there four whole months." That's a long time to be away, and well, she'd have been away probably longer than that, except he went after her, and we see that in verse 3 and 4, the Levite went after her to bring her back. Verse 3 says, and her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses, and she brought him into her father's house. And when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him, and he abode with him three days. So they did eat and drink and lodged there. Well, though this concubine had broken the bond between them, we see that this Levite went to great lengths to bring her back. and to restore the relationship back together. Now, when the father of this young woman saw this Levite, he was glad to meet him, it says there. Perhaps her father was glad to see the Levite and his daughter back together for her sake, or perhaps he was ready to get rid of her. He might have been tired of her after four months of her being under his roof again. We're not told. It just makes you... Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Makes you wonder what made him so happy about that. Now verses five through 10, we see the father of his concubine extended their visit with a generous show of hospitality. Look at verse five. And it came to pass on the fourth day when they arose early in the morning that he rose up to depart, and the damsel's father said unto his son-in-law, comfort thine heart, with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.' And they sat down, and did eat and drink, both of them. For the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry. And when the man rose up to depart, his father-in-law urged him, therefore he lodged there again. And he rose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, and the damsel's father said, comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them. And when the man rose up to depart, he and his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel's father said unto him, behold, Now the day draws toward the evening. I pray you, tarry all night. Behold, the day groweth to an end. Lodge here, that thine heart may be merry, and tomorrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home. And it says in verse 10, but the man would not tarry that night. But he rose up and departed and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem, and the reason it was called there, that because the Jebusites were in control of Jerusalem at that time, okay? So they were with him, two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him. All right, so these verses explain why the Levite and his concubine were delayed in Bethlehem at the home of the concubine's father. The Levite intended to leave on the fourth day, but was persuaded to stay one more night, one more night. And then on their day of departure, it says they delayed until afternoon, and that explains why they left late in the day instead of early in the morning, which would normally make more sense to leave early in the morning, you know, to get the best part of the day away, but we see that because they left late in the day, in verses 11 through 15, we see that they, on their trip home, they decided to spend the night in Gibeah. Gibeah. Look at verse number 11. Gibeah was known as Gibeah of Benjamin. It's in the Benjamite territory. That's what we're seeing here. Look at verse 11. And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent, and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn into this city of the Jebusites and lodge in it. And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger that is not of the children of Israel. We will pass over to Gibeah. And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night in Gibeah or in Ramah. And we see there, they passed on and went their way, and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin. Okay, so this is Gibeah and Benjamin, this is Benjamite territory. It says in verse 15, and they turned aside thither to go in and to lodge in Gibeah. And when he had went in, he sat him down in a street of the city, and there was no man that took them, and to his house to lodging. Okay, this Levite's servant tried to get his master to turn into Jebus, a city controlled by the Jebusites. Now, the Levite considered a pagan town too dangerous, and so they went to Gibeah, a city of Israel there in Benjamin's territory, because the Levite thought it would be safer there. He was wrong. He was wrong. He thought it would be safer there. However, when they got to Gibeah, they initially found no hospitality there. You know, when you don't find hospitality, that's a sad thing, isn't it? I like folks that are hospitable. But it reflects poorly on the people of Gibeah because the Lord commanded such hospitality among His people, and these were His people. In fact, in Leviticus 19, Leviticus 19 verse 33 and 34, I'm going to read it. And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him, but the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you. And thou shalt love him as thyself, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. And so, you know, there's something wrong when there's no hospitality among God's people. Amen. We ought to make sure that we're hospitable when folks take time to come visit us here at our church. Amen. Look at verses 16 through 21 and we see that finally a fellow Ephraimite shows up, lived there in Gibeah and saw them and extended some hospitality to them. Look at verse 16. And behold, he came an old man from his work out of the field at Even, which was also of Mount Ephraim. So they were from Ephraim, and this guy was from Ephraim as well. And he sojourned in Gibeah. That's where he lived at that particular time. But the men of the place were Benjamites. And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city, and the old man said, Where goest thou, and whence comest thou? And he said unto him, We are passing from Bethlehem, Judah, toward the side of Mount Ephraim, from thence am I. And I went to Bethlehem, Judah, but I am now going to the house of the Lord, and there is no man that receiveth me to house. And so we see here, let's read on verse number 19, it says, Yet there is both straw and preventer for our asses, and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is thy servant. There is no want of anything. And the old man said, Peace be with thee, howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me, only lodge not in the street. So he brought him into his house and gave provender to the asses and they washed their feet and did eat and drink." So this guy was the only person to extend hospitality to them. None of the native people of Gibeah cared for the strangers in their midst. But we see that they had a vile interest in these men. And that comes up here in verse number 22. Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man saying, bring forth the man that came into thine house that we may know him. Let's talk about knowing him in a biblical way. We're talking about wickedness here. The verb form of the phrase beat at the door here indicates that there was an increasingly loud pounding on the door, like they were trying to beat the door down. This was not a polite or casual request. Their request was the same made by the homosexuals who surrounded the house of Lot in Sodom in Genesis 19 verse number 5. And what we see here is pretty clear. During the time of the judges, at least some of Israel was as bad as Sodom and Gomorrah. That's sad, isn't it? I mean, they're supposed to be God's people. They're supposed to be followers of the Lord. But they've gotten away from the Lord. Remember, talking about that downward spiral of sin? It will lead you in some bad places. And they were in a bad place, these Benjamites were. Next we see in verses 23 through 26 we see the wickedness and perversion of these Benjamites that lived in Gibeah. Verse 23 says, And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly, seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly. And behold, here is my daughter, a maiden, and his concubine, Them I will bring out now, and humble you them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you, but unto this man do not so vile a thing. But the men would not hearken to him. So the man took his concubine and brought her forth unto them. And they knew her and abused her all the night until the morning. And when the day began to spring, they let her go. Then came the woman in the dawning of the day and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was till it was light." The perverted men of Gibeah were clearly guilty, so were the Levite and the host of this home. They were all guilty. Mean men, they should have been willing to give themselves up before their daughters and companions? I mean, what kind of person gives up their wife or gives up their daughter for such wickedness? Each person in this vile scene was guilty in it, except of course for the concubine herself, but her guilt had come earlier as she played the whore. Could that be why her husband was so quick to give her up to these vile men? It still didn't make it right, even if that's why he did that. But these wicked men of Gibeah were more like the men of Sodom and Gomorrah than men of Israel. And even the master of the house they were staying in who was from the Levites area in Ephraim was willing to sacrifice his own daughter just as Lot was willing to give up his daughters before his guest took matters into their own hands and struck the perverts blind. over in Genesis 19. Remember that? It was two men from the Lord had gone in there and they didn't allow any such thing to happen. They struck them blind. They could not find their way around. Whatever care this Levite might have had left for his concubine after her whoredom, and running back to her daddy, was cast off by him for his own sake. Better her than him, I guess is what he had in mind. We don't know what was on his mind. But centuries later, Israel was reminded of this crime at Gibeah. And it was used as an example of wickedness. You can write these down. I'm just going to read them for sake of time. Hosea 9, 9 and Hosea 10, 9. Hosea 9, 9, Hosea 10, 9. Hosea 9, 9 says, they have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah. Therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins. And Hosea 10 9, O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah. There they stood, the battle of Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them. So we see, last of all here, we see this Levite discovered his concubine at the door as he was headed out to go his way. He wasn't going out to look for her, he was just going to go his way. Think about that. Look at verse 27, he just happens to, he's about to step on her as he goes through the door. Verse 27 says, And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way. And behold, a woman, his concubine, was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. And he said unto her, Up, and let's be going. Did you hear that? Up, and let's be going. Come on, woman. I mean, I cannot understand the mind frame of what we see here. But it says that none answered. I mean, she wasn't answering. She could very well have already been dead, but it says here, then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up and got him unto his place. And it gets worse. If she wasn't dead, that means he killed her because verse 29 says, When he had come into his house, he took a knife and laid hold on his concubine and divided her together with her bones into twelve pieces and sent her into all the coast of Israel. And it was so that all that saw it said, there was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day. Consider of it and take advice and speak your minds." We're not told here whether he found her dead or alive. Just imagine, she probably was dead, or nearly dead, and she probably died sometime during the trip. But when he heartlessly told her, up and let us be going, he got no answer. And so he took her up, put her on one of the bees, and they went back home with her. We presume that she was dead either when the Levite picked her up or she died on the trip home, but we're not told. We really are not told. He could have killed her and then cut her up. At home, he took a knife, cut her up, divided her in 12 pieces, sent the pieces throughout the tribes of Israel along with the message that was really a call to action against the Benjamites for what was done. And we're going to see in that next chapter that call against the Benjamites and what comes out of it. This was obviously a grotesque way to deliver a message, but the method worked. It was tragic that the Levite did not show this kind of concern for righteousness earlier. I mean, he didn't show any righteous concern at all. And here, it's a sad state of affairs that was in Israel that day. Well, that's our Bible study for this evening. Let's pull back out our prayer list, we'll pray for the needs, and we'll be dismissed with this prayer.